"In Search of a Midnight Kiss" at the 2008 Wisconsin Film Festival

In Search of a Midnight Kiss could almost be called a romantic comedy if it weren't for the fact that it really isn't all that funny. A few crude jokes and awkward scenes about jerking off make up the bulk of the film's comedic action. The audience laughed (or exchanged embarrassed shrugs) but comedy just wasn't the strength of the film.

What In Search of a Midnight Kiss lacks in super-funny comedy, it makes up for in romance. The so-so, quirky humor actually provided a balance to the love stories in the film, allowing it to be authentically romantic without ever becoming trite.

It's New Year's Eve in L.A. and down-and-out Wilson doesn't have a date for the big night. His roommate persuades him into posting a personal ad on Craigslist. "Misanthrope seeks misanthrope," begins Wilson's ad. He attaches his photo and waits for the phone calls to pour in. He meets up with the first woman who calls, aspiring actress Vivian who interviews him with a cruelty that can only come from being deeply insecure. She declares him fit for a test drive. Wilson has until 6 o'clock. At sundown, Vivian will decide if he'll be her date for the rest of the night.

Shot in black and white, there are moments in In Search of a Midnight Kiss that seem impossibly classic for a movie in which characters chat about pubic hair on a first date. The moments between Vivian and Wilson are complicated enough to be real and, appropriately, In Search of a Midnight Kiss features the best onscreen kiss of the entire film festival.

Poignant and romantic, In Search of a Midnight Kiss was a perfect start to the final day of this year's Wisconsin Film Festival.